Marketing Yourself By Sarah Ferguson At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

To become a successful model you need to find work. Signing with an agency means that that agency will actively promote you and look for shoots for you to take part in. The alternative is to work as a freelance model marketing yourself, finding your own shoots, and generally doing all of the hard work yourself. The big advantage with the latter approach is that you are in control of everything, to an extent.

While the lure of keeping a greater cut of the fee may seem appealing, agencies do offer the exceptional advantage of having a ready made network they can call upon. The following are some methods that you can use to promote or market yourself as a freelance model, should you choose to take this route.

Composite Card

The Composite Card, also referred to as the Zed Card, is your modeling business card. Consisting of at least two photos on one sheet of paper, as well as your statistics and contact details, the zed card is what you will present to photographers, clients, and agencies. It needs to sell your look and present the necessary information so that it can be filed and referred back to when potential clients are looking for talent for a shoot.

Portfolio

Every model knows about the portfolio. Consisting of anywhere from 6 to 24 photographs, the portfolio has to look professional in every possible way, and this is especially important if you are freelancing. You should provide a wide range of photographs including head shots, body shots, studio work, outdoor work, color, and black and white. Use a professional photographer to take the shots if necessary, and once you've done some shoots, use magazine tears. Only include the very best photographs you have and don't attempt to cram as many mediocre shots in as possible.

Your Own Website

The Internet is the world's largest global marketplace. Scouts and agencies often look on the Internet for new talent. Your own portfolio website also provides you with a convenient way to showcase your talent and present that showcase to potential clients and photographers. Again, it needs to appear professional and photographs should be optimized for the web so that you look your best.

Modeling Websites

Many websites exist that enable models to place their photos or link to their online portfolios. These are the exact types of websites that scouts use to find talent. They also include forums and networks of models. They can often be a great source of shoot information and contract requirements so visit them often, bookmark them all, and request updates by email, RSS, or any other method.

Door Knocking

Visiting companies that have a need for fresh models, going to agencies, and scouting out professional photographers can be done in person. Take your portfolio and always try to leave your composite so that the people you visit can refer back to you in the future. Make a positive and professional impression whenever you meet anybody and don't get pushy or upset if you struggle to get in to see somebody.

Is Freelancing For You?

Freelance modeling requires a huge range of skills, but especially determination and doggedness. The face of the world has changed and has become a largely virtual one, so get your own website and join other websites, but get out there and visit companies, agencies, and photographers. Take your professional looking composite and portfolio and aim to impress everybody you meet in a positive way.

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